5 percent of Staten Island teachers could be axed under budget proposal

Advance file photoSchools Chancellor Joel Klein testified about the preliminary budget before the City Council's Education Committee at City Hall.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Five percent of Staten Island teachers could lose their jobs in September if a doomsday education budget proposal presented Wednesday becomes reality.

They would be among 8,500 teachers across the city who would be laid off to make up for a projected $1.2 billion budget gap, city education officials said. There are about 3,000 teachers on Staten Island, which means 150 positions would be axed.

Schools Chancellor Joel Klein testified about the preliminary budget before the City Council's Education Committee Wednesday at City Hall. The meeting was attended by Councilman Vincent Ignizio (R-South Shore) and Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore).

During his explanation of the budget proposal, Klein described an all-around approach to the layoffs, and said he planned to implore the state to change laws that determine which teachers get laid off and what happens to them afterward.